Establishing baselines for measuring coastal archeological site erosion
Abstract
Maines approximate 2000 shell middens, or shell mounds, were constructed by indigenous people for at least 5000 years prior to European contact, and are an irreplaceable record of ancient lifeways and environments along coastal waterways. Within these shell mounds, organic material is much better preserved than at interior locations, thereby producing a more complete archive of archaeological, faunal and floral material, often with stratigraphic temporal control. However, virtually all of Maines shell mounds are eroding due to the effects of Arctic warming on the Maine coast, which includes sea level rise, increased storm frequency and intensity, and more freeze-thaw events. In order to prioritize mitigation efforts to save an important part of the indigenous and historic heritage of Maine citizens, erosion rates and landscape susceptibility must be evaluated. Traditional methods of calculating midden erosion rates (installation of rebar, point measurements) are adequate for smaller sites, but some midden sites are too extensive for traditional methods or too challenging to access, and thus many will be lost without record. In this pilot study, we utilized drone imagery, high-precision GPS, and remote sensing imagery to establish spatially-referenced 3D benchmark measurements for large midden sites along Maines coast, expanding upon and adding to an existing citizen science campaign. Here we show the results of our novel approach to monitoring Arctic-warming impacted coastal geoarcheology. As climate change continues, the loss of cultural resources will accelerate, necessitating the development and application of new monitoring methodologies.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2021
- Bibcode:
- 2021AGUFMGC55J0533S